Exercise provides a variety of benefits from weight management and digestive aid, improved cardiovascular function, strengthens bones and muscles, increases flexibility, enhances moods, and alleviates anxieties and stress.
- Aids With Digestion: Daily exercise benefits your American Bully’s digestion and wastes production. This benefit is significant as a dog ages and its metabolism slows down.
- Bolsters Cardiovascular And Respiratory Systems: Regular exercise is necessary for respiratory and cardiovascular health. Taxing the body with vigorous activities makes your dog’s body work harder, bolsters cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
- Maintain Bones And Skeletal-Muscle Strength: Putting positive stress on the bones, joints, and muscles of your American Bully will have long-term benefits. Daily activities will keep the body in balance, helping with respiratory and cardiovascular function and injury prevention, which is especially crucial as your dog ages.
- Improved Flexibility: An active dog is less prone to injury resulting from weakened muscles, bones, and joints. Moving vigorously will help maintain joint elasticity and keep the muscles flexible.
- Elevates Moods: As the saying goes, “a tired dog is a happy dog.” Exercise releases neurochemicals such as endorphins and dopamine in the brain that balance and heightens moods. These neurochemicals also play a significant role in reducing stress and anxiety and creating a calmer mind for your dog, making it easier to train and interact with positive behaviors.
A bonus to regular exercise is that you begin to develop a routine with your companion, creating an opportunity to build upon the bonds between you both.
Finally, dogs are social animals that like to explore surroundings and discover the possibility of threats and food sources in the area.
Dogs rely on a sense of smell for much of the way they interact with their environment. For example, a daily walk or other outdoor activity allows them to sniff around and explore the area, stimulating their mind as a result.
If you need suggestions of ways to exercise your American Bully, we have a few suggestions to consider depending on where you live.
Walks: The most basic activity is taking daily walks. Taking a walk around the neighborhood allows for an excellent way to get low-impact exercise for your American Bully while also giving them an outlet for their curiosity. In addition, as discussed earlier, daily routines provide an incredible way for you to reinforce the bonds between pet and pet parent.
Hikes: Hikes are an excellent suggestion for those that have the ability to get out and about in nature. Depending on the city or town where you live, hikes are a chance for your American Bully to discover a new world around them. However, one caveat is to keep in mind the type of terrain and weather that you may be hiking through. If it’s going to be over 85 degrees and rough terrain, it may be best to sit it out. Also, to determine if a hike is appropriate, you must factor in your dog’s overall age and conditioning levels before heading off to the woods for a day.
Dog Park: As dogs are social by nature, a dog park offers multiple benefits. First, they are an excellent way to learn social skills and pack hierarchy. Dogs instinctively create packs with other dogs, so letting them run, interact, and wrestle with other dogs is excellent for exercise and socialization. Second, you’ll be amazed at how much energy your American Bully will expend in a short 30-minute dog park adventure. Be aware that the muscular stature and the breed’s genetic makeup may make some pet owners wary at first, so be conscious of how your American Bully may interact and play with others at the park.
